The Home Coming
by americanchld
Summary: A Snowy River: The McGregor Saga story. A friend of the McGregors comes back to Paterson's ridge after years of living in America
1. Chapter 1

Returning to Australia had always been a dream of Beckie's father since he moved his family when Beckie was only eight. Patrick Donovan had thought there were more opportunities in the American state of California. In the Sacramento valley Patrick thrived in his business, but no one expected what would happen. Coming home from the bank the family owned, Patrick complained of a pain in his left arm, he was also breathing heavier than normal. He went to bed that evening after supper and never woke up. The train coming to a stop in Patterson's Ridge jolted Beckie into consciousness. This home coming was bittersweet. She was no longer the little girl who had left crying because she would miss her friends. Beckie, now in her mid twenties, did not even have her father to comfort her anymore. Emotions swelling high, Beckie stepped off the train. Somehow coming back here, where she had spent such a happy childhood brought her father closer to her. Hot tears streamed down her face, but Beckie walked on to a childhood promise made long ago. She had promised that if she ever came back she would go directly there. As she neared the church, which still looked the same as when she was a child, as the rest of the town did, she stumbled upon a small pile of rocks behind a large tree. If the rocks were still here, then surely the objects of the forgotten promise must still be there. Beckie knelt down and removed the rock covering. Digging down into the earth she revealed a small wooden box. Running her fingers over the smooth wood of the box released sweet memories of the day they had planted it. That day, Beckie had heard about her family moving to America. She had told her friends and they had promised on these tokens, one for each of them, that they would remain friends forever. Her thumbs pushed the lid back to reveal the boxes small contents. Fresh tears flowed freely as she picked up the three tupence.  
"Can I help you? You seem lost." The voice jarred Beckie back into the present. She turned around to face the man standing behind her.   
"No I'm fine." She wiped the tears from her eyes and turned to leave.  
Feeling compassion for this unknown woman who was obviously distressed,"Well let me introduce myself; I'm Colin McGregor, the Reverend of the town. Come in and worship with us on Sunday if you are still in here. We welcome everyone." At his name a playful spark came into Beckie's eyes. He did not recognize her, she hadn't either until he said his name.   
"I thank you Reverend McGregor; however, I am not new nor am I lost." Beckie once again turned to leave.  
Colin had noticed the light that suddenly sparked into her eyes and spread through her face. He knew she would be alright.  
"Can I at least ask you your name? I like to know who I'm talking to." Colin asked.  
Beckie turned back around. "My name is Rebecca Donovan, Beckie for short, and if you still can't figure me out then I'm surely a shadow from the past. Here is something for you to remember." With that she gave him the tupence and headed back into town. Colin watched her go, bewildered by not only the gift but the woman who had given it to him. He walked back toward the church meeting his wife in the doorway.  
"Who was she?" Emily asked noticing the puzzled expression on Colin's face.  
"She said her name was Rebecca Donovan and gave me a tupance. She said something about the past as well. What could it all mean? It was the strangest thing. When I came up she was in tears, as soon as I introduced myself her face seemed to brighten   
up."  
"Well I don't know what to tell you. All I will ask is why was she in the trees?"  
"She had definitely dug something up, wait a second. She dug the tupance up."  
"What?" Emily asked more confused then ever.  
Colin was not; as if it were yesterday the pictures of the past flooded his mind.  
"When I was little, my parents were best friends with another couple. The other couple had children, one of which was the same age as Rob. The three of us became best friends, inseparable; you could always see us running around somewhere. One day my parent's friends decided that they would be better off in America. The day we found out the three of us decided to promise to be friends forever and as a sign of that promise we buried three tupance in a small wooden box. That friend was Beckie Donovan. I can't believe I didn't remember. She was always a mischievous little girl, got in trouble right along with us; she thought she would have some fun and not tell me who she was. I'm gonna go find her and invite her to dinner with all of us. I'll see you later."

With that he kissed his wife and walked out of the church. Emily went back to what she had be doing excited to soon meet a part of Colin's past. Colin walked over to the hotel hopping that Beckie would be there. He walked into the lobby, seeing Beckie at the desk. He walked up behind her.  
"Can you please have someone bring my luggage from the train station to my room, thank you?" He overheard her say.

Beckie turned around, but this time was not startled by Colin.   
"So I wondered how long it would take you to remember who I was. Obviously it didn't take that long." Beckie gave him a smile.  
"Well actually I don't think it would have taken me as fast as it did if I hadn't had my wife to talk to."  
"So you are married now, I half expected that would be so, well I would love to meet this woman who has tamed your wild heart." Here Beckie laughed something that she had not done since her father's death.  
"Well I just came to invite you to dinner with us at Langara where we can remember old times."  
"That would be lovely, you sure your dad won't mind."  
"I know he wouldn't and you can see and meet everyone else. Emily and I will pick you up after we get done at the church, ok?"  
"Sounds great, I'll look forward to it."  
"See you in a little bit." Colin walked back to the church with a big smile on his face.


	2. Chapter 2

Rebecca was excited, but slightly nervous, as she dressed for dinner. Would Mr. McGregor remember her, would anyone remember her? She had grown up over the years, so had everyone else. Why hadn't she just met Collin's wife? It was weird to think of her best friend as a man, married and in charge of the whole church. She had grown  
up apart, separated from them, no one would remember her.  
"Ah! You've got to stop thinking like this", she said out loud, "nothing ever came of fretting. They will remember and they will like you." Somehow though this auditory pep talk did nothing to squelch the fear that the evening would go horribly. All too soon a porter came up and knocked on the door. Collin and Emily were waiting downstairs for her. 

"Oh my goodness, this is it." Rebecca thought. With a quick smooth of her skirts and a deep breath she followed the porter down to the lobby. 

"Rebecca, are you ready to go?" Collin asked with a smile. 

With confidence that she did not feel Rebecca answered, "Of course, I can't wait." 

It took awhile, but soon Emily and Rebecca were chatting like they had known each other all their lives. Collin seemed to enjoy listening to them, as he drove with a smile on his face. All too soon the trio reached Langara, and the sinking feeling returned once again to Rebecca's stomach. Collin got down first and helped his wife, then Rebecca down from the sulky. Rebecca laughed when she first heard the word; she was defiantly back in Australia. Things in America where so different. They entered the house, smells of food drifting in the air. 

"Dad, hey Dad, we're here." Collin called out. Matt McGregor rounded the corner the next instant. 

"Hey Collin, Emily. And who do we have hear?" Matt and Collin hugged. 

"I forgot to tell you that I invited a guest over as well. I knew you wouldn't mind." 

"Rebecca, Rebecca Donovan, is that you? I can't believe it. It's been a long time. Come here." Matt held open his arms. "It's so good to see you after all these years." 

Rebecca stepped back after the hug. "To be honest, I didn't think that you would remember me, I mean, I've changed an awful lot since I was 8." 

"You look so much like your father. Plus your Mother wrote to me and told me you were coming. However, I didn't expect you to show up at my doorstep. Your mother had mistaken information; she thought you wouldn't be here for another week or two." 

"What? I'm so confused." 

"Let's move into the sitting room and I will clear it up for you." 

When they were sitting down, Matt explained that Rebecca's parents had kept in touch all the years they were away. "You are welcome here anytime." 

"Dad, I'm back." A young girl entered, she couldn't have been any older than 14. "Rob told me to tell you that..." the sentence was left to trail in dead air. Danni stood staring at the stranger sitting in her living room. 

"Danni, this is Rebecca Donovan, Rebecca, Danni." Rebecca rose and shook hands. She knew by the girl's talk that she was Mr. McGregor's daughter, but she couldn't have been born until after Rebecca moved away. "Rebecca is the daughter of an old friend of  
mine, Mr. Donovan. You've heard me talk about him before." 

"It's nice to meet you Miss. Donovan." Danni seemed unafraid of strangers. 

"Thank you, but please call me Beckie." 

"As long as you call me Danni." 

"It's nice to meet you Danni." 

Dinner was soon ready and everyone sat down to eat. Beckie, feeling already like she was one of the family.  
"Danni," Matt asked, "You were saying something about Rob earlier and never finished, where is he?" 

Beckie's ears perked up at Rob's name, it would be interesting to say the least to meet up with the third of their old friendship. 

"Oh yes that's right. He said to tell you that he would not be here for dinner, because he went with Victoria." 

Beckie's heart sank; she would not see Rob after all, maybe another day. But he couldn't be courting Victoria. Beckie remember her as the prissy little snob, who liked to be referred to as Princess Victoria, and didn't want to roughhouse. She also used to tease Beckie mercilessly for wanting to play with and do things that the boys liked to do. Maybe I'm being a little harsh; after all we have all grown up now. Somehow I don't think Victoria has changed all that much. Beckie thought to herself.

The evening went faster than expected. Soon it was time to leave. Beckie regretted having to go back into town. She had always felt this way, sad when the party was over. She could remember her first dance, and not wanting to leave because she had so much fun. As they headed for the door, Matt broke into her thoughts.

"Beckie, if you ever need a place to stay, just let me know. I already told you that you are always welcome here. Just remember, I think of you like one of my own kids." 

"Thank you Matt." He had asked earlier that she call him Matt. 

They all said their goodbyes, as Collin opened the door to leave, who should be standing there but Rob. Beckie knew him right away, who else would come to the McGregor house this late in the evening. 

"Hello everyone."Rob said. Suddenly Rob's eyes might with the woman's standing next to Emily. 

"Hello," he said to her. 

Beckie moved to the doorway, "Hello Rob." With that she pressed one of the last tupance into his hand and walk out the door without another word.


End file.
